Friday, 19 November 2010

Stadium to Generate it's Own Clean Electricity and Save $60 Million in Energy Costs
$30 million Investment in Wind Turbines, Solar Panels and Dual-Fuel Co-gen Plant To be Installed. The implication here is that the 7.6 megawatt on site CHP will underpin all energy needs on site and provide a surplus to the local area via selling back this energy to the power grid company.

SEECOMMENT: This is a great example of a project that should be replicated on all large scale construction projects around the globe. With large scale embedded energy production, comes the realization that decentralized power systems offer better power security. They also obviate the need for large scale generally inefficient remotely located power stations. Lets see what the UK's 2012 Olympic development has to offer in these realms of energy generation on this scale. The World Games stadium in Taiwan which opened last year was self powered albeit with solar panels.

Artists impression of finished stadium with VAWT around 'rim'

The Philadelphia Eagles today announced a plan to power Lincoln Financial Field with a combination of onsite wind, solar and dual-fuel generated electricity, making it the world’s first major sports stadium to convert to self-generated renewable energy.

The Eagles have contracted with an Orlando FL, renewable energy and energy conservation company, to install approximately 80, 20-foot spiral-shaped vertical axis wind turbines [VAWT] on the top rim of the stadium, affix 2,500 solar panels on the stadium’s façade, build a 7.6 megawatt onsite dual-fuel co-generation [CHP] plant and implement sophisticated monitoring and switching technology to operate the system.

Over the next year, they will invest in excess of $30 million to build out the system, with a completion goal of September 2011. A private provider will maintain and operate the stadium’s power system for the next 20 years at a fixed percent annual price increase in electricity, saving the Eagles an estimated $60 million in energy costs.

The Eagles estimate that over the 20-year horizon, the on-site energy sources at Lincoln Financial Field will provide 1.039 billion kilowatt hours of electricity — more than enough to supply the stadium’s power needs — enabling an estimated four megawatts of excess energy off-peak to be sold back to the local electric grid.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are proud to take this vital step towards energy independence from fossil fuels by powering Lincoln Financial Field with wind, solar and dual-fuel energy sources,” said team owner and chief executive officer, Jeffrey Lurie. “This commitment builds upon our comprehensive environmental sustainability program, which includes energy and water conservation, waste reduction, recycling, composting, toxic chemical avoidance and reforestation. It underscores our strong belief that environmentally sensitive policies are consistent with sound business practices.”

Added Eagles owner Christina Lurie, “We believe the iconic stature and universal appeal of professional sports can become a powerful, visible, motivating example of how renewable energy sources can replace fossil fuels and create a cleaner, sustainable environment for people everywhere.”

Against a backdrop of trees symbolizing the Eagles’ commitment to reforestation, the Luries invited special guests to join them in signing the Go Green! Team’s Declaration of Energy Independence, which “seeks to create a better living environment by reducing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.”

The greening of Lincoln Financial Field is a significant step by a major sports franchise to achieve that goal. The energy to be generated by on-site renewable sources is comparable to the annual electricity usage of 26,000 homes. Engineers estimate that converting the stadium to renewable energy will eliminate CO2 emissions equivalent to 500,000 barrels of oil or 24 million gallons of gasoline consumed annually. That equates to removing the carbon emissions of 41,000 cars each year.

“The Eagles’ plan for Lincoln Financial Field represents one of the most extensive renewable energy commitments by any major facility”. “The energy plan will utilize the most technologically advanced wind turbines and solar panels. With this installation, we anticipate that many businesses will see the benefits of renewable energy and be inspired to emulate the Eagles’ bold leadership.”

Beyond the substantial environmental advantages, the Eagles’ renewable energy plan will create hundreds of jobs for the Philadelphia area. They anticipate directly employing 200 local people during the year-long design and installation phase. One-quarter of these jobs will be permanently maintained over the 20-year operational horizon. In addition, the project will generate approximately 600 indirect jobs in the surrounding region as a result of their commitment to utilize local contractors, vendors and suppliers, as available.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter stated, “The Philadelphia Eagles have been great corporate citizens for many years, most specifically working with disadvantaged youth throughout the City. But we also know the Eagles to be green; they don’t just wear green, they sincerely believe in the concept of responsible environmental stewardship. We appreciate their commitment to an issue that is at the core of the City’s Greenworks Philadelphia Plan, to become the Greenest City in America. Today’s announcement will help reduce the City’s carbon footprint, create hundreds of much needed green jobs and put our City on the world stage. This type of forward thinking will serve as an excellent example to every organization that wants to play a role in strengthening our local economy while helping the environment.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated, “With this ground-breaking initiative, the Eagles are taking another significant step forward in their commitment to environmental responsibility and to their community. The work of the Eagles’ Go Green! initiative in raising environmental awareness and implementing green programs is a tribute to the leadership of the organization. The NFL is proud to support the Eagles and Christina and Jeffrey Lurie as they set the right example for all of sports.”

About The Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are members of the NFC East division of the National Football League (NFL). Under its current leadership, the team has become known as one of the most aggressive as well as progressive organizations in professional sports. Off the field the Eagles are recognized as a leader in community outreach having founded the Eagles Youth Partnership, one of professional sports’ most innovative charitable foundations, and Go Green, the team’s comprehensive environmental initiative. For more information visit the Eagles website at www.PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

First postulated in 1931 by Isidoro Cabanyes who discussed it in the magazine 'La energía eléctrica', this concept uses several key effects to work; the chimney effect, greenhouse warming and low velocity wind turbines.

The sun's radiation is used to heat a large body of air under an expansive collector zone (green houses in this case),

Solar Up Draught Tower Principles

which is then forced by the laws of physics (hot air rises) to move as a hot wind through large turbines to generate electricity. A Solar Tower power station will create the conditions to cause hot wind to flow continuously through 32 x 6.25MW pressure staged turbines to generate electricity.

One of the major advantages of a Solar Tower over other renewable and traditional coal & nuclear energy producers is a Solar Tower does not use any water in the energy production process.
A US Department of Energy report 'Reducing water consumption of concentrated solar powerelectrictity generation', states coal, nuclear and heliostat CSP technology (power tower) utilize approximatley 500 gallons of water per MWh of power produced.
The Solar Tower project earmarked for Arizona will abate the approximate usage of 528 million gallons of potable water (drinking water) per annum.'

Solar Up Draught Tower with Thermal Storage

Artists Impression of the Finished 'Power Station'

When using green houses crops can be grown and/or some heat energy can be retained overnight using water filled tubes as can be seen in this schematic below. This allow for the generation of power over a 24 hour period.

Monday, 1 November 2010

Good news from California and for Solar Thermal Plant (as opposed to solar PV panels). These reflectors concentrate light onto tubes filled with a heat transfer medium. This in turn is stored in insulated tanks and used over a 24hour period to power turbines to generate electricity - thus power at night!. Big in Spain and perfected by the Germans, this is an international project. See below from their press release.

Solar Trust of America, LLC today announced that its project development subsidiary, Solar Millennium, LLC, has secured a Record of Decision (ROD) from the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approving the Blythe Solar Power Plant’s Right of Way Grant. The ROD is the final regulatory milestone in the federal permitting process and it paves the way for Solar Millennium, LLC to build and operate its Blythe Solar Power Project, which will be the largest solar power facility in the world.

Located in Riverside County, California, the Blythe solar power facility, will be the first parabolic trough solar facility approved on U.S. public land. It will consist of four 250 MW plants that together will deliver 1,000 MW of nominal generating capacity, or enough electricity to annually power more than 300,000 single-family homes. Upon completion the Blythe facility will increase the solar electricity production capacity of the U.S. by more than double, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy.